Week #1
"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (Revelation 1:5-6 ESV)
DOXOLOGY. The verse above is one that my wife and I have been memorizing together. Recently, we have been more attentive to the doxologies and blessings found in the Bible. They are passages that include, "Worthy are you..." or "To him belongs glory..." or similar words. These are statements or prayers of blessing addressed to God or the Lord Jesus. The verse above is a blessing, stating that eternal glory and dominion belong to Jesus. He is worthy of praise because of his work in the past (he freed us from our sins by his death), in the present (he loves us now), and for our glorious future (a kingdom and priests). As you read the Bible and come upon such doxologies, don't skim over them as mere religious formalities. Make them your prayer. Doxologies help us rise above our self-focus -- they are there to tell us the truth about God's infinite worth and honor.
BIBLE READING. Some of you joined our reading plan after we began in January 2020 and have asked how to access my posts related to the earlier readings. One thing you can do is go to my website and search for the particular book of the Bible you are reading. Another way is to go the myburg archive (pull-down menu in upper right corner). Choose a month (January 2020 readings correspond with 2022 readings) and scroll down to your day of the month (you may have to hit "more posts" at bottom a time or two). Bookmark that page of posts so it's easy to return to it. You will find other helpful information at the NET Bible website, especially Tom Constable's notes. And The Gospel Coalition Bible reading email (daily) will give you some devotional posts by D. A. Carson based upon the M'Cheyne reading schedule. Sign up here.
BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY. I found the following Smithsonian article to be very informative, fair, and balanced. The author concludes, "What Ben-Yosef has produced isn’t an argument for or against the historical accuracy of the Bible but a critique of his own profession. Archaeology, he argues, has overstated its authority. Entire kingdoms could exist under our noses, and archaeologists would never find a trace. Timna is an anomaly that throws into relief the limits of what we can know. The treasure of the ancient mines, it turns out, is humility." Read "An Archaeological Dig Reignites the Debate Over the Old Testament’s Historical Accuracy"
BSIB. The Biblical Studies Institute of Blacksburg will begin their spring semester on Thursday, February 3, 2022, meeting at 6:30 pm in the BCF Adult Education wing. Two new classes have been added: "Introduction to Theology," taught by Loren Rees and Neil Damgaard, and "History of the Reformation," taught by Chris Hutchinson. For more information visit www.biblicalstudies.group.
QUOTE. "Go to him with confidence. You cannot do him greater honor than to receive from him what he has to give. That is glorifying him. It is putting the crown upon his head, and confessing him to be a perfect, all-sufficient Christ, when it pleases you, as it did his Father, that in him should all fulness dwell, and when you are content to live out of yourself upon his fulness, for the supply of all your needs in time and in eternity. To live thus upon him is his glory, and it is your privilege, your interest, and your happiness." (William Romaine, The Life of Faith) Read more at "You Have, Now Ask".
Sandy